Ernest r



E. R. GODWARD.

SURFACE VAPORIZER ATTACHMENT FOR CARBURETERS.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 30, I920.

1,383,932. Patented July 5,1921.

US s I 7 3T l2 l2 W I 1 1 1' I 7 I T x & l T i 2 3 2 INVENTOR g ATTORNEYS UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ERNEST R. GODWARD, OF INVERCARGILL, NEW ZEALAND.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 5, 1921.

Application filed April 30, 1920. Serial No. 377,796.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ERNEST R. GODWARD, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at-Invercargill, New Zealand, have invented certain new and useful Improvemerits in Surface Vaporizer Attachments for arbureters; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The present invention relates, generally, to carburetors; and the invention has reference, more particularly, to an improved construction of surface vaporizer attachment for carburetcrs.

The invention has for its principal object to provide a novel construction of surface vaporizing device adapted to be connected with a carburetor to receive the mixture of liquid fuel and air therefrom; said surface vaporizing device being so constructed that it will provide a maximum area of surface arranged within a limited bulk or space, and which is further arranged to support, carry and spread the liquid portions of the fuel mixture in a manner allowing time for the liquid fuel to completely evaporate before final discharge to the engine cylinders.

The invention has for a further object to provide a construction of surface vaporizer which will gage and control the amount of fuel mixture to be operated upon, so that only such an amount is allowed to enter which can be evaporated by the device.

The invention has for a still further object to provide a surface vaporizing device operating upon the general rmciples dis closed in my prior Patent 0. 1,291,833, with the added improving feature that the evaporating surface is provided by a plurality of nested cone-shaped plates or disks inclining downwardly in the direction of movement of the fuel mixture whereby the liquid fuel cannot fall or run back toward the inlet of the device, but must move, if at all, toward the outlet of the device, thus permitting avity to assist in the spreading and thi ing out of the "liquid fuel upon the evaporating surface.

Other objects of the present invention,

not at this time more particularly enumerated will be clearly understood from the following detailed description of the same.

The invention is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a vertical longitudinal section of the novel surface vaporizer device for carburetors made according to and embodying the principles of my present invention; and Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-section through the same, taken on line 2-2 in said Fig. 1.

Similar characters of reference are employed in all of the hereinabove described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring now to said drawings. the reference-character 1 indicates the upper section of a casing, and 2 indicates the lower section of said casing. Said lower casing section is provided with an inlet opening 3. Secured to said lower casing section, by means of bolts 4, or other suitable fastening means, is the discharge end 5 of a carburetor, so arranged as to be connected in communication with said inlet opening 3. Disposed within the interior bottom of said casing section 2 so as to surround said inlet opening 3 is an internally threaded boss 6 to which is secured a conical base member 7 having a central opening ,8 corresponding to and alined with said inlet opening 3.

The reference-character 9 indicates a plurality of truncated conical disks or plates which are each provided with a central opening preferably equivalent in diameter to the diameter of said inlet opening 3. Said coni cal disks or plates 9 are nested together one above another in a vertical pile, and have their central openings vertically alined to provide an inlet passage 3 extending upwardly through the pile from the inlet opening 3, Said conical disks or plates 9 are slightly spaced apart one from another to provide intermediate lateral passages 10. The spacing of said disks or plates 9 bears a definite relation to the cross-sectional area of the inlet passage 3, whereby the combined area of the inner or intake ends of said passages 10 is approximately equivalent to the area of the mouth of the inlet passage 3. thus the intake ends of said passages 10 together with the inlet passage 3 serve as a definite gage to control the amount of fuel mixture which may be drawn through the passages 10, said amount being only that which the disk or plate surfaces, contiguous to said passages 10, can successfully evaporate. The said conical disks or plates provide, contiguous to said passage 10, downwardly and outwardly inclined surfaces extending from the intake ends said passages to the outlet ends thereof, said 7 surfaces increasing in area from said intake toward said outlet ends of said passages.

Said lower casing section 2 is provided with a discharge opening 11 approximately equivalent in diameter or cross-sectional area to that of said inlet passage 3. Sup ported in connection with said lower casing section 2 concentric to said pile of disks or plates 9, and so as to surround the latter, is an inner wall 12 tapering upwardly so as to provide in communication with the outlet ends of said passages 10 an outlet passage 13 gradually increasing in cross-sectional area toward the bottom of said pile of disks or plates, said outlet passage 13 being in communication with said discharge opening '11. Supported upon the upper end of said inner .wall 12 is a cap member 1 1 closing over the pile of disks or plates 9, and provided with a central depending hollow inverted conical member 15 which projects downwardly into said inlet passage 3 so as to terminate substantially opposite the bottom of said pile of disks or plates 9. The inclined walls of said conical member 15 serve to reduce the cubic area of said inlet passage 3 from the bottom thereof up wardly, so that the charge of fuel mixture entering said inlet passage 3' and thence into the passages 10 between the disks of plates 9 is deflected readily into said passages 10, and, furthermore, by the cubic area reduction of the inlet passage 8 serving to compensate for the reduction of the volume of the said charge as 1t 1s successively taken into the passages 10 while ascending said inlet passage 3.

The upper section 1 of said casing'is supported upon the lower section 2 so as to sunround and extend over the pile of plates or disks 9 inclosed within the inner wall 12 and cap member 14, being spaced from the latter members so as to provide a jacketing passage or chamber 16. Said upper casing section 1 isprovided with an intake passage 17 and an outlet passage 18 suitably disposed to communicate with and serve said jacketing passage or chamber 16. Said jack-- eting passage or chamber is adapted to receive, for circulation therethrough a heating medium, such as hot air or the exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine, thereby serving to maintain a temperature within the passages of the vaporizer adapted to as sist the volatilizing and evaporating processes exercised thereby upon the fuel mix ture passed therethrough.

mixture is thus caused to enter said inlet passage 3 and from thence into and through the passages 10 provided by said pile of spaced disks or plates 9. Having entered the intake ends of said passages 10, the charge proceeds therethrough toward the outlet ends thereof, and, by *eason of the increase in circumference, and consequently of the capacity of said passages 10 toward their outlet ends the velocity of the air (in and by which the liquid particles of the fuel mixture are carried and supported) is checked or decreased so that the particles of liquid fuel which have not already been ahsorbed by the air, drop, by gravity, out of the air stream and are deposited upon the lower contiguous surface of v the disks or plates 9 bounding said passages. Since the surface area of said plates or disks 9 also increases toward the outer circumference of the latter, the said particles of liquid fuel are spread out on such increasingsurface in an increasingly attenuated layer or film, under the pull of the moving air stream, and are therefore so thinned out as to be rapidly evaporated and again taken up into the air stream to unite therewith and form the explosive mixture discharged from the device for delivery to the engine cylinders. Since the surfaces of said disks or plates 9 are inclined downwardly toward the outlet ends of said passages 10, the spreading out and thinning of the liquid fuel on sa d surfaces is also assisted by the pull of gravity, and the movement of the liquid fuel is constantly toward the discharge end of the device, and, furthermore, the liquid fuel cannot run back to the inlet passage 3 or return in any degree or form to the carbureter.

'I am aware that some changes maybe made in the arrangements and combinations of the various devices and parts, as well as in the details of the construction of the same, without departing from the scope of my present invention as set forth in the foregoing specification and as defined in the appended claims. Hence, I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements an d com-l binations of the various devices and parts as described in said specification, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of said parts as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

I claim r 1. In a device of the kind described, a cas- The carbu- V ing having an inlet opening and a discharge opening, a plurality of nested conical plates inclosed within said casing, said conical lates being vertically separated to provide intermediate lateral passages bounded by the downwardly and outwardly sloping surfaces of contiguous plates, said plates having centrally disposed openings of uniform diameter alined together to provide an inlet passage between the intake ends of said lateral passages and said inlet opening of said casing, and the walls of said casing being spaced away from the outer circumference of said nested plates to provide an annular discharge passage between the outlet ends of said lateral passages and said discharge opening of said casing.

2. In a device of the kind described, a casing having an inlet opening and a discharge opening, a plurality of nested conical plates inclosed within said casing, said conical plates having centrally disposed openings of uniform diameter alined together to provide an inlet passage extending through said nested plates and communicating with said inlet opening of said casing, said conical plates being vertically spaced one from another to provide intermediate lateral passages bounded by the downwardly sloping surfaces of contiguous plates, the distance of separation of said plates being such that the sum of the areas of the intake ends of said lateral passages approximates the cross-sectional area of said inlet passage extending through said plates, and the walls of said casing being spaced away from the outer circumference of said nested plates to provide an annular discharge passage between the outlet ends of said lateral passages and said discharge opening of said casing.

3. In a device of the kind described, a casing having an inlet opening and a discharge opening, a plurality of nested conical plates inclosed within said casing, said conical plates having centrally disposed openings of uniform diameter alined together to rovide an inlet passage extending throng said nested plates and communicating with said inlet opening of said casing, said conical plates being vertically spaced one from another to provide intermediate lateral passages bounded by the downwardly sloping surfaces of contiguous plates, the distance of separation of said plates being such that the sum of the areas of the intake ends of said lateral passages approximates the cross-sectional area of said inlet passage extendin through said plates, and the walls of said casing being spaced away from the outer cir cumference of said nested plates to provide an annular discharge passage between the outlet ends of said lateral passages and said discharge opening of said casing, and an inverted conical member extending downwardly through said inlet passage of said nested plates adapted to progressively reduce the cubic area of said inlet passage in the direction of flow of a fuel charge therethrough proportionally to the volume reduction of a fuel charge as it is successively taken into said lateral passages intermediate said nested plates.

4. In a device of the kind described, a casing having an inlet opening in its bottom end and a laterally extending discharge opening, a conical base'member secured Within said casing, said base member having a central opening alined with said inlet opening of said casing, a vertical pile of nested conical plates supported on said base member, said p ates having vertically alined central openings of uniform diameter providing an inlet passage through said pile of plates, said plates being vertically separated to provide intermediate lateral passages bounded by the downwardly and outwardly sloping surfaces of contiguous plates, an inner annular wall surrounding said pile of plates and spaced therefrom to provide an annular discharge passage in communication between said lateral passages and said discharge opening of said casing, a cap member supported by said inner annular wall to extend over said pile of plates, and said cap member having an inverted conical member projecting downwardly through said inlet passage of said pile of plates.

5. In a device of the kind described, a casing having an inlet opening in its bottom end and a laterally extending discharge opening, a conical base-member secured within said casing, said base-member having a central opening alined with said inlet opening of said casing, a vertical pile of nested conical plates supported on said basemember, said plates having vertically alined central openings of uniform diameter providing an inlet passage through said pile of plates, said plates being vertically separated to provide intermediate lateral passa es bounded by the downwardly and outwardly sloping surfaces of contiguous plates, an inner annular wall surrounding said pile of plates and spaced therefrom to provide an annular discharge passage in communication between said lateral passages and said discharge opening of said casing, a cap member supported by said inner annular wall to extend over said pile of plates, said cap-member having an inverted conical member projecting downwardly through said inlet pas sage of said pile of plates, and an upper casing section int-losing said annular wall and cap member in spaced relation therefrom to provide a jacketing chamber, said upper casing section having inlet and discharge openings communicating with said jacketing chamber.

6. A surface vaporizing attachment for carbureters in which a maximum of surface area is provided'in small bulk, comprising a pile oi nested conical plates having central openingsalined together to provide an inlet passage adapted to receive a fuel mixture through its lower end, said nested conical plates being vertically spaced one from another to provide lateral passages between said. plates leading outwardly and downwardly from said inlet passage, and means having a discharge opening adapted to inclose said pile of plates so as to receive the vaporized fuel mixture passing out of said lateral passages, said conical plates providing downwardly and outwardly inclined fuel supporting surfaces contiguous to said lateral passages which increase in area from the intake ends toward the outlet ends of the latter whereby the fuel assisted by gravity may spread. out thereupon so as to be easily evaporated.

7. A surface vaporizing attachn'ient for earbureters in which a maximum of surface area is provided in small bulk, comprising a pile of nested conical plates having central openings of uniform size alined together to provide an inlet passage to receive a fuel mixture through its lower end, said nested conical plates being vertically spaced'one from another to )rovide lateral J-QSSZW'BS be-.

tween said plates leading outwardly and downwardly from said inlet passages, the distance of separation or said plates being such that the sum of the areas of the intake ends of said lateral passages tpproxiinates the crosssectional area of said inlet passage, and means having a discharge opening adapted to inclose said pile of plates so as to receive the vaporized fuel mixture pass.-

ing out of said lateral passages, said conicalplates providing downwardly and out- -Wardly inclined it'uel supporting surfaces contiguous to said lateral passages which increase 1n area from the intake toward the outlet ends of the latter whereby the fuel assisted by gravity may spread out there upon so as to be easily evaporated.

8. A. surface vaporizing attachment for carbmeters in which a maximum of surface area is provided in small bulk, comprising a pile of nested conical plates having central openings of uniform size alined together to provide an inlet passage to receive a fuel mixture through its lower end, said nested conical plates being vertically spaced one from another to provide lateral passages between said plates leading outwardly and downwardly from said inlet passage, the distance of separation of said plates being such that the sum of the areas of the intake ends of said lateral passages approximates the crosssectional area of said inlet passage, means having a discharge opening adapted to inclose said pile of plates so as to receive the vaporized :lfuel mixture passing out of said lateral passages, said conical plates providing downwardly and outwardl inclined fuel supporting surfaces contiguous to said lateral passages which increase in area from the intake toward the outlet ends of the latter whereby the fuel assisted by gravity may.

spread out thereupon so as to be easily evaporated andan inverted conical member extending downwardly through said inlet passage of said nested plates adapted to progressively re duce the cubic area 01": said inlet passage in the direction of flow of a fuel charge there through proportionally to the volume reduce tion of a fuel charge as it is successively taken into said lateral passages intermediate said nested plates.

In testimony that I claim the invention set forth above I have hereunto set my hand this 28th day of April, 1920.

ERNEST R. GODWARD.

Witnesses:

Gnoncn D. RICHARDS, AnoLrrI HANSEN. 

